Meaning
圣旨 refers to an official decree or command issued by an emperor in imperial China. These edicts carried the highest authority and were treated with extreme reverence. The term is now used historically or sometimes humorously to refer to authoritative commands.
Usage
This term is primarily used in historical contexts when discussing imperial China. In modern casual speech, people sometimes use it jokingly to describe bossy orders from someone in authority, like 'following the boss's 圣旨.' The phrase 奉旨 (fèng zhǐ) means 'by imperial decree' and often appears with this word.
Examples
- 01太监宣读圣旨，满朝文武官员都跪下听旨。, .The eunuch read the imperial edict aloud, and all the civil and military officials of the court knelt down to receive it.
- 02他开玩笑说：'老婆的话就是圣旨，不敢不听。': ' , .'He joked: 'My wife's words are like imperial edicts—I wouldn't dare disobey.'
Characters
Measure words
- 道一道圣旨
- 份一份圣旨
Common collocations
- 奉圣旨to receive/follow an imperial edict
- 宣读圣旨to read aloud an imperial edict
- 接圣旨to receive an imperial decree
- 违抗圣旨to disobey an imperial decree
Origin
圣 originally meant 'holy' or 'sage,' and was used as an honorific for the emperor. 旨 means 'intention' or 'decree.' Together they literally mean 'the sacred decree,' reflecting the divine authority attributed to emperors in traditional Chinese political philosophy.